high quality warman slurry pump selection manufacturers

How to Choose a Dredging Pump or Slurry Pump

As described below, there are several >types of pumps that are suitable for pumping slurries. However, before considering which technology to use, we must address several key issues.

When pumping slurry in wet sand applications, we must evaluate the abrasive particles flowing through the piping and then assess how they affect the slurry pump. If the pump is lined with poor quality rubber, the particles will not rebound effectively and, as a result, the rubber will begin to break down. The air shavings then begin to accelerate and negatively impact the efficiency of the pump, often leading to turbulence.

The design of the slurry pump is critical to ensure that the abrasive and often corrosive aspects of the slurry do not damage the impeller. In addition, slurries and sludges may contain large amounts of unforeseen solids, which will inevitably clog many types of pumps. Since most centrifugal pump impellers have very tight tolerances on the worm gear, the abrasive (and sometimes corrosive) nature of the slurry will quickly wear down the worm gear and destroy the tolerances. In turn, this causes the pump to lose suction. This can lead to extensive downtime of the slurry pump, as well as expensive maintenance and spare parts.

Settling slurries are formed by coarse particles, which tend to form unstable mixtures. Special attention should be paid to flow and power calculations when selecting a pump. Most slurry applications consist of coarse particles and therefore have a higher abrasion resistance.

The winch dredger is usually equipped with a hull-mounted dredge pump, which has an impeller centered at or below the draft line for further production and improved suction efficiency.